OP asked re a waterproof finish. Look up Hassui Ceramic. 5OFF code gets 5% off—supposedly waterproof Japanese sealer. Expensive stuff. Can’t speak to its effectiveness. Learned about it on AAW forum.
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Getting a nice, smooth, glossy finish
- Thread starter Jon Rista
- Start date
This has been a good thread and has reminded me why I like oil finishes. I generally stay away from shiny and glossy but it does seem appropriate for the occasional turned object in my shop. The only real success I've had with either oil or water based poly has been many coats sanded and polished. Far too much labor to want to repeat often. I do spray lacquer on christmas ornaments with good results. I spray a quick tack coat and after it sets a bit I spray more coats. This seems to inhibit runs a bit.
Randy Anderson on this forum, french polishes his vases. That ideas been on mind for a while. I have done that on furniture but it's another rabbit hole to fall in.
Walnut and tung oil work well for me in my dusty shop.
Randy Anderson on this forum, french polishes his vases. That ideas been on mind for a while. I have done that on furniture but it's another rabbit hole to fall in.
Walnut and tung oil work well for me in my dusty shop.
Wow. I just did a web search for that. Some of the images are of some truly beautiful items. I would love to give this a try, but phew!! SPENDYYYYY! Its $190 for a quart!! HAH! And I was stickershocked the other day at $60/qt for finishes I was buying 5 years ago at around half that. :O
Some day, maybe... I do like the idea of water proof though. It is supposedly non-toxic. The thing that really blows me away...its silicon! I haven't heard many people say "NEVER EVER EVER" much when it comes to woodworking...however, I've encountered a few people who have said it about silicon, as I guess it can be rather ruinous to wood and prevent proper finishing? Curious that an entire finish is based on the stuff now.,
Yeah, been an educational thread. I think I am starting to learn, based on some things the ever-helpful John K Jordan has shared, and things shared in this and a couple other threads by several, that a truly good finish, just kind of requires effort and some time. I guess there are some key steps as well...initial surface prep, which is not as easy as it seems at all; the process of finishing itself, which may often require some elbow grease and effort to rub, burnish, or otherwise infuse the wood with its protective coatings; the curing process; fix and repair processes, which may sometimes be required. Oh, I guess also, is a selection process, to choose the best finish for the given piece. Gloss isn't appropriate for everything, but maybe some things. Oil, shellac, wax, something else, a blend of things; seal coats, primary coats, top coats... Hah. Its not a simple thing at all.
Aaron Harris' process he just described above, sounds a bit like french polishing. JKJ described his process in another thread. There is a lot of process involved, often involving rubbing or burnishing the finish into the wood. This is a key lesson for me, I think. A truly good finish, is not one that's done in a few minutes.